Cultivating device



Oct. 13, 1953 c. v. EDWARDS 2,654,982

CULTIVATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1950 1451: 9 2454*. llllllllllllll I:-

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FIG 5 :77 TOQA/E Patented Oct. 13, 1953 PATENT OFFICE CUIATIVATIN GDEVICE OurtisLV-E Edwards, Yakima,v Wash, assignor to; EdwardsEqui-pmentCompany, Yakima, Wash., a; corporatiom of. Washington Application-January'26, 1950; Seria-I'Nm 140,579"

STCIaimS... l 1-; Min-invention relates to agricultural imple meritsBIIIdfTElZitES inpa-rticular to a device, oi the general: character ofaacultivator-usedyin prepe aration'oi'soil. Theimplemen-t not. onlyloosens the soil:=so that: air ma-y enter and. plant roots. may readilyextend therein, but also cutsand mixes into. thev soil,-plant 1 foodmaterials, such as fertilizers; cover: crops and thetplant; life-re.maining: on :the ground after: harvesting:

Itxistan objectof the invention to. providera simple and inexpensivedevice: which not, only cultivatesthe-dirt but cuts grass, weeds; brushstubble and other; organic materials; and mixesthese materialswithrthesoil-. so that theymay he.- readily.- converted intoy valuable 1 plant.-food. by the; chemical, bacterial; andtother action which takes place;

It is-an .obiect. oi. the invention to. provide. an implement having. a'irame arranged-to. be: moved.

along the surface of: the. ground. by suitable;

vide a. device or this. .character haying. a, p111.-.-

rality. of. b1ade.assemblies, eachbladle. assembly comp ising, radiallyutward y. projec ing, blades having transverse cutting edges,thesebl'ades .being relatively widely. separated in circumferem tial orcircular. spacing so that they may readily enter the, ground".- A'feature of; the invention is the mounting of-the individual bladeassembli'es on hub bodies which are turnable ona shaft which is likewiseturnable; in'bearing means supported by the frame;

A further object of the invention is to provide means for connecting theblade assemblies in pairs, with the blades of one assembly offsetcircumierentially from. thebl'ades ofthe :other assembly ofithe therebydisposing' the blades fora-rolling, cutting- -and'di'gging' actionwithout bumping orpronounced vertical oscillation of the-frame;

' Aiurtherobject of the inventionjs to provide the blades with-cuttingedges which are as wide 2-, as the hub.- sections on which they aremounted; and; aufurther' object ofthe invention is to -pro vide; these.blades with heli'cally disposed cutting edges.

A turtherobject. of the invention is. taprovidethis-dev-ice with asimple-adjustable rilli'ng attachment on th'e: baclr. portion: oi theframe; and a further object is to provide the frame with a simple.laterally adjustable-hitch.

Aiurther ohiect ot theinventi'orr is: to provide a device: of the?character disclosed hereirrhay ing a plurality of'transvcrsely arrangedgroups of cutters revolving: on. axles:- oraxes.- disposed insubstantially. horizontal: plane but alt-slight. 311- gles to theforward: line ofimovement-ofi' the de v1ce,-.;

Further objects. and advantages of; the: invention will, loo-brought:out irrthefollowing part of the specification wherein: I havadescribedat preeferredi'formiofr-therirrventionin. detail; for the purpose oi;making; a: complete: disclosure with-- out-limiting? the scoperoiithewinventionset fortlr the appended claims;

Referring to the drawing; which is; for illusstrative-purposes only:

Fig. l is a. plam view-w otzawpreferredqformof my invention;

Fig; 2 is any enlarged fragm-entary sectional viewtaken as;indicatedizby the line 2'-2-oi Fig-r 1 Bligh 3: ista face.--viewtaken;iromwthepl-an in.- dioatedbyntheline 3L-.-3. of Fig; 2;

Fig; 4. is avfragmentary elevational view taken tronr. the position:indicated' b'y' the line 4-4 of: Fig. 1..

The :agricultura-l implement. comprising invcntiorr has: a: framelfllwhich may be readily fabricated fromstructural steel shapes; suchfor example as channels. The frame I'Q has sides H transverse fron-tbars- [2 and I3, and trans verse rear barsliand F51 connected-tothesides H so as to f'orm'a; frame of general rectangular form. A hitch--f6; iorconnection; of the device to atractor; is connected to the frontbar' 13 so asflt-q be adjusted" laterally through selectedipositioirs,from the position in. which the hitch. i6 is. shown in fulllinestotheppsition thereof indicatedby dotted lines it". The hitch i6oomprises a forwardly projecting tongue. lf'l having. a transverse bar|81at its rear end; and diagonal reenforcing members LEI connecting theendsof' thebar [.8 with an intermediate portion of; the tongue IT. Thebar [Biaslid'able alongthebar l3; andthe. bar l18 .has.- on theendsthereoflclamps 20' which extend over the bar I3"to attach the hitchIE to the bar l3 in selected positions of adjustment previouslydescribed herein.

In the frame it between the front and rear bars I2 and I4, rotary groundworking elements 2| are supported so as to rotate respectively onhorizontal axes a-a and 11-1), these axes being disposed at slightangles, in opposite directions, to lines :r--;z: which are perpendicularto the direction of movement of the frame If] when the device is inoperation. Each of the rotary elainents 2| comprises a plurality ofrotor assemblies 22, such as shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein Ihave shown hubs mounted in sidebyside relation on a shaft 24 rotatablysupported by grease-sealed bearings 25.

The bearings 25 are carried by a sub frame 26 comprising side bars 21which are bolted to the inner faces of the sides ll of the frame l0,making possible detachment of the sub frame 26 from 26 from the frame l0so that the sub frame 26 and the rotary elements 2| may be reversed inthe frame l0. That is to say, the sub frame 26 and the rotary elements2| carried thereby may be rotated through an angle of 180 and mat--tached to the frame l0, so as to reverse the direction of rotation ofrotary elements as sometimes found advisable in certain types orconditions of soils.

Each hub 23 has a plurality of radially extending walls 28 reenforcedalong their rear surfaces by ribs 29. By bolts 30 blades 3| are securedto the front faces of the Walls 28, these blades 3| consisting ofsubstantially flat plates of hardened steel sharpened so as to havebeveled cutting edges 32 at their outer ends.

The number of blades on each hub 23 is relatively few so that adjacentblades on a single hub are spaced quite far apart. In the ordinarypractice of the invention, each hub 23 may have from four to six blades3| thereon. In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosedherein I employ flve blades 3| on each hub 23, and these blades 3| aredisposed so that their cutting edges are in helical relation. That is tosay, the cutting edges 32 are angled relative to the plane,perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 24 in which rotates the assemblyof blades consisting of five blades 3| connected to a single hub 23.Although I have found that the angling of the blades 3| as describedproduces a good loosening and mixing of the soil with cut organicmaterials, good results may be obtained by supporting the blades 3| sothat the cutting edges 32 thereof are in other relations to the axis ofthe shaft 24.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I show a pair of hubs 23 in side-by-side relation,each of these hubs 23 having an assembly of blades 3| thereon. The twohubs 23 shown in Fig. 2 are connected together so as to act as a singlehub body, and the hubs 23 are connected together so that the blades 3|of one blade assembly are offset from the blades of the assembly on theremaining hub 23. As shown in Fig. 3, the blades 3l-a of one bladeassembly are offset circularly from the blades 3 l-b of the bladeassembly on the remaining hub 23. Although the hubs 23, or bodies eachconsisting of two hubs connected by pin 33, are rotatable on the shaft34 which is in turn rotatable in bearings 25, it is impossible for theblades to become aligned so that a jumping action will occur when thedevice is pulled along by a tractor.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be perceived that when the lowermost blade3 l-a projects substantially vertically downwardly. the two adjacentblades 3l-a are in a position wherein their cutting edges are contiguousto the ground surface. However, as viewed in Fig. 3, blades 3|b of thesecond assembly of blades lie between the radial planes defined by theblades 3l-a. In the device described, the outer ends of the radial walls28 define a cylinder having a diameter of 16 inches and the cuttingedges of the blades 3 -a and 3 -b define a cylinder having a diameter of24 inches. The blades therefore project 4 inches beyond the outer endsof the radial walls 28, but owing to the shape of the walls 38 and ofthe reenforcing ribs 29 the blades 3| may enter the soil to a depth of 6to 8 inches. Each rotor assembly 22, comprising two assemblies of blades3|-a and 3l-b, is rotatable independently of the rest of the rotorassemblies on the shaft 24 which rotates at a speed approximately thatof the composition of rotor assemblies referred to as a rotary element2| extending from side to side of the frame "I. But, as the shaft andthe rotary element 2| rotate in unison, there may be a small adjustingrotation of the rotor elements 22 on the shaft and relative to eachother in accordance with the soil conditions encountered by therespective blade assemblies. In the practice of the invention all of thehubs 23 need not be connected together in pairs. For example, I haveshown several hubs 23-a on the shafts 24, which are rotatableindependently of each other and of the remaining hubs on the shaft 24.

The bar I5 at the rear of the frame I0 is rotatable on its axis and isadapted to adjustably support one or more rilling tools 35. I have showna pair of such rilling tools 35 as each consisting of a disc 36supported by bearing means 31 carried at the swingable ends of arms 38which have channelled bodies 39 at their upper ends to engage the barl5, so that the rilling tools 35 may be adjusted along the bar |5 todesired positions of operation. Clamping screws 40 are provided forfixing the arms 38 in selected positions on the bar l5.

The ends of the bar I5 are carried by bearings 4| which are bolted tovertical plates 42 welded onto the rear ends of the side members II ofthe frame In. The bearings 4| may be adjusted vertically on the plates42 so as to raise or lower the bar l5 in order that the angle of engagement of the rilling tools with the soil may be changed to suit workingconditions. Means are provided for swinging the rilling tools betweenraised and lowered positions. In the preferred practice of the inventionsuch means consist of hydraulic cylinder 45 having the forward endthereof pivotally connected by hinge means 46 to the upper end of abracket 41 mounted on the central portion of the cross bar H. A pistonrod 48 projects rearwardly from the cylinder 45 and is connected byhinge means 49 to the upper end of a lever 50 which is connected to thecentral portion of the bar l5 in upwardly projecting position. Foroperation of the cylinder 45 I show flexible conduits 52 extendedtherefrom. These conduits 52 may be connected to the hydraulic system ofthe tractor which pulls the device.

I claim:

1. In a cultivating device of the character described: a substantiallyhorizontal frame member adapted to be moved along a path of movement; anaxle supported by said frame in crossing relation to said path ofmovement; a plurality of pairs of hub sections rotatably supported onsaid axle in face to face relation; relative rotation preventing meansinterconnecting the hub section of several pairs, each connected pair ofhub sections being rotatable on said axle independently of the remainingpairs; and blades mounted on each of said hub sections in radiallyoutwardly extending positions and with the cutting edges thereof incrossing relation to the planes in which said blades rotate, the bladeson one hub section of each pair of hub sections being in staggeredrelation to the blades of the other hub section of the pair of hubsections.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the lengths of said blades isgreater than the widths thereof, wherein the cutting edges of the bladesare beveled along one side to form a sharp edge, and wherein said hubsections are reversible in said frame so that the blades will be therebyreversed and effect a different cutting action on the soil when thedevice is moved forwardly along the path of movement.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said hub sections have webswhich extend outwardly, the rear faces of said webs being reinforced andthe front faces of said webs have said blades bolted thereagainst.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said blades are sharpened bybeing all beveled in the same direction and wherein said horizontalframe member is provided with reversible connecting means for connectionto said frame members in one position or in another position therefrom,said reversible connecting means being adapted for connection to atractor whereby said cultivating device may be selectively rolled acrossthe soil in one direction or may, upon reversal of said reversibleconnecting means, be rolled across the soil in the opposite direction togive a different soil working action.

5. A cultivating device as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame memberis connected to said axle by bearings which enable rotation of saidaxle.

CURTIS V. EDWARDS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 151,510 Pitkin June 2, 1874 1,585,839 Ernst Ma 25, 19261,782,593 Zeilinger Nov. 25, 1930 2,574,468 Denton Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 71,995 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1916

